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Alabama Music Office.com goes to W.C. Handy Festival 2013. While there I interviewed Carlos Pino after the jazz performers rehearsal in the Mane Room in downtown Florence, Alabama. I had heard much about Carlos and his talent. This was my first opportunity to meet him and found him to be the nice guy that everyone told me he would be. I called him Carlo instead of Carlos and I apologize.

I had heard a lot about Carlos Pino, mostly about his talent and the consensus that he is a nice guy. I found both to be true. I had seen him on stage a few times. We were both involved in a Ray Reach project to record live jazz during W.C. Handy Festival 2013. After rehearsal I had the opportunity to interview him. I asked, where he was from? He replied, "I was raised in Birmingham Alabama, near Oak Mountain and the Vestavia Hills area. But I was actually born in New Orleans. I have been in Birmingham since the age of 2 or 3."
What inspired him to make a career in music? He answered, "That's all I like to do. That's pretty much it...I've worked in office jobs, restaurants, but did not like it. I remember in 1996 I saw an ad to make $15 an hour, which was pretty good money back then, going door to door, selling knives. I remember the uncomfortable feeling when I went to my first customer's house. That is when I decided, I can teach guitar. I found out that I could support myself, I could teach guitar, and balance my time between teaching and performing."
Who taught him to play? He says, "A guy named Ken Bush when I was a kid. Then classical guitar from Brian Letterby (UAB), and then Tom Wolfe (UA), Vic Juris from the New Jersey, New Year area (Rutgers). I am about to take lessons from a Brazilian teacher who is coming to Birmingham in another week or so. When I go to Columbia, where my family is from, I take lessons down there. So many teachers!"
What is he striving for? He said, "I hope to take people down to Columbia and play. I've done that a few times. We go and play jazz music and they love the music. I guess the grass is always greener. They don't have this kind of music there and they really appreciate it, while people here could care less. Same music! I am also working on a grant to bring Columbian music here in a form like our fake books and put together an anthology of sorts. They have a lots of instrumental music, but nothing is available in written form."
I was surprised to learn that this was the first W.C. Handy Festival in which he had participated. He told me, "This is my first one, and I have only been here for about an hour. I was here as a kid for some kind of Latin or Spanish connection when I was in middle school. I'm happy to be here."
I asked about his latest album. He answered, "Yes, I have an album that has been out for about a year now. I play with a great upright bass player, Brandon Peeples on that album. It's called 8 for 1, which is a bad title. We made it simple, no drums, except there is a little percussion on one Brazilian tune, "Sexy," which we will play tonight. There are some original tunes and many different genres. It's great, people seem to like it."
What ideas does he have for his next project? He said, "I think I will be recording with this group I plan to take to Columbia. I am working on that grant, just trying to get down there. Columbia just loves this music, and I have so many connections there. Seems to fit."
Where can you see and hear Carlos Pino before he becomes an international jazz star? He says, "I play every week at Satterfield's in Cahaba Heights. It's a great restaurant. I play with Brandon and we do a lot of jazz and some Brazilian music. I play often at Marty's with folks like Gary Wheat who is here and Don Davis. That has been the steady group. Then I play the Night Flight Big Band and play R&B regularly with Ona Watson. I play with Sharrif Simmons, the poet. He does spoken word and we do an open ended kind music for him to speak over. I play with Jason Bailey who does bluegrass or new grass. He's real creative. I do different things. I started playing bass with a couple of groups. I play piano some, in church or wherever. I just like to play. During my Columbian visits, I am learning how to play the bandola, which is a mandolin type instrument."
This interview was printed in the September, 2013 Issue of The Leaf